PUPILS at a Forest school love its new look, says the headteacher.

A series of changes at Bream Church of England Primary School has been made possible by the school, parents and Gloucestershire County Council working together.

They include a range of new games which have been painted on the playground, a new entrance and corridor, a refurbished library and a sandstone bench that echoes the stone which was used to build the original school more than 100 years ago.

Parents and the local community were invited to the school to see the new look.

Headteacher Liz Chirgwin said: “The children love it. The school looks brighter and more modern and they are so proud of it.

“The parents have provided the money for the games on the playground and the school and the county council have put money into the improvements.”

A bench crafted from Forest pennant sandstone was donated to the school by local company, Forest Stone Firms.

Kirk Roberts – who’s sons, Johnny Oscar and Ferdy attend the school – persuaded his boss at the Parkend-based company to donate the bench worth £2,000.

He said: “The bench is pennant sandstone and so is the school. Our quarry opened around 1890 so there’s a good chance the stone for the school came from our quarry.”

Mr Roberts’s partner, Kelly Imm, produced a history of the school from its opening in 1907.

She said: “I came to this school and so did my father and grandfather and I’ve always been interested in local history.

“I asked people for anything they had about the school – it was most difficult getting material after 1950.”

A ribbon was cut by local author Ian Hendy to officially open the new-look library.